US20050156561A1 - Mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus - Google Patents
Mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20050156561A1 US20050156561A1 US10/743,839 US74383903A US2005156561A1 US 20050156561 A1 US20050156561 A1 US 20050156561A1 US 74383903 A US74383903 A US 74383903A US 2005156561 A1 US2005156561 A1 US 2005156561A1
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- Prior art keywords
- battery
- drawer
- battery drawer
- contact
- contacts
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- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 10
- WIDHRBRBACOVOY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2,3,4,3',4'-Pentachlorobiphenyl Chemical compound C1=C(Cl)C(Cl)=CC=C1C1=CC=C(Cl)C(Cl)=C1Cl WIDHRBRBACOVOY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 230000007257 malfunction Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000035939 shock Effects 0.000 description 2
- -1 Nickel metal Hydride Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 229910052793 cadmium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052987 metal hydride Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002991 molded plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N nickel Substances [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000002035 prolonged effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M10/42—Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M10/42—Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells
- H01M10/46—Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
- H01M50/20—Mountings; Secondary casings or frames; Racks, modules or packs; Suspension devices; Shock absorbers; Transport or carrying devices; Holders
- H01M50/204—Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
- H01M50/207—Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells characterised by their shape
- H01M50/213—Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells characterised by their shape adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/0029—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries with safety or protection devices or circuits
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/0029—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries with safety or protection devices or circuits
- H02J7/0031—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries with safety or protection devices or circuits using battery or load disconnect circuits
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/0029—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries with safety or protection devices or circuits
- H02J7/0036—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries with safety or protection devices or circuits using connection detecting circuits
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/0042—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries characterised by the mechanical construction
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/0042—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries characterised by the mechanical construction
- H02J7/0045—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries characterised by the mechanical construction concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
-
- H02J7/027—
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
- H04M1/02—Constructional features of telephone sets
- H04M1/0202—Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
- H04M1/026—Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
- H04M1/0262—Details of the structure or mounting of specific components for a battery compartment
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to apparatus for holding, storing, and charging batteries.
- Electronic equipment must receive a supply of power from a source of electricity. Most electronic equipment available today is powered directly from an alternating current (AC) source, such as a conventional wall outlet. Other, generally portable, devices are typically powered by batteries that must be periodically replaced after the batteries in use run down.
- AC alternating current
- rechargeable batteries are often employed in equipment that relies on batteries for power.
- batteries are well-known and come in several varieties, including Nickel-Cadmium(Ni-Cad) and Nickel metal Hydride (NiMH), to name just two.
- NiMH Nickel metal Hydride
- Such batteries are also available in a myriad physical configurations.
- a cordless telephone typically includes a base station that is powered via an AC outlet and a cordless handset that is powered by a battery, or batteries (hereafter “batteries”).
- batteries hereafter “batteries”.
- the batteries that provide power to the cordless handset are rechargeable.
- the base station is configured to recharge the batteries in the cordless handset such that the batteries maintain the greatest possible amount of charge.
- cordless telephone systems have, in view of this problem, standby batteries that are stored in the base station of the telephone and separately re-charged.
- standby batteries that are stored in the base station of the telephone and separately re-charged.
- the cordless handset batteries run down, it is possible to simply swap the handset batteries with second, or stand-by, batteries that are stored and charged within the base station. The run down handset battery is then re-charged within the base station.
- the batteries in the base station may also be used to provide stand-by power to the base station itself in the event of a power failure, wherein AC power is not available.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of selected portions of a conventional cordless telephone base station 100 and its interconnection with second or stand-by batteries.
- Base station 100 typically comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) 105 that includes electronic components that provide telephony functionality, along with assorted other features such as telephone number memory, caller ID functionality and display features.
- PCB 105 might also include a power supply 107 , or at the very least, a means for distributing power, received from plug or transformer 110 , which is plugged into a conventional AC wall outlet.
- PCB 105 (or some other portion of the internal components of base station 100 ) includes a battery charging circuit 114 that includes output terminals 116 a , 116 b .
- Output terminals 116 a , 116 b are connected via wires 118 to a drawer 122 that includes terminals 120 a , 120 b.
- Drawer 122 typically has a shape that is consistent with the type of batteries that base station 100 and a handset use. Drawer 122 is preferably spring loaded (e.g., via springs 125 ) and biased to be pushed toward the exterior of base station 100 . Drawer 122 is held in place within the body of base station 100 by way of a user-movable latch (not shown).
- a user simply displaces the latch, which causes the drawer to automatically and at least partially eject itself from base station. This state is shown in FIG. 1 .
- the user then removes the batteries present within drawer 122 and inserts rundown batteries and closes drawer 122 . While this seemingly simple battery replacement procedure would not be expected to be potentially dangerous, there is, in actuality, the possibility that a user could be unexpectedly electrically shocked.
- terminals 120 a , 120 b are, even when drawer 122 is in its open state, in contact with battery charger output terminals 116 a , 116 b via wires 118 . Since base station 100 may be a telephone apparatus, it is typically connected to outside telephone wires.
- base station 100 is connected to an AC source of power through plug or transformer 110 . Accordingly, in the event of a lightning strike to the power lines or telephone lines, or in the event of a malfunction in base station 100 , any of which could cause unexpectedly high voltage/current levels within the circuitry of PCB 105 , it is possible that such unexpectedly high voltage/current levels could be transferred across wires 118 and be present at terminals 120 a , 120 b with which a user may easily come into contact when performing a battery replacement procedure.
- the present invention provides a mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus that precludes a user from inadvertently coming into contact with electrically live contacts.
- a battery drawer in which batteries are placed to be recharged is configured such that, when in an open state, electrical contact with a battery charging circuit is broken. Consequently, even if there is an unexpected power surge (due to lightning or an internal telephone malfunction), the user is protected from potential electrical shock.
- a battery holding apparatus comprises a drawer having a front face and sides, the sides respectively having a flange extending therefrom. At least two contacts each having front-facing and back-facing portions are provided, wherein the front-facing portions are in contact with a terminal of a battery when the drawer holds a battery. An extension portion extends beyond the at least two contacts and in a direction away from the front face. A battery drawer cover having protrusions extending therefrom is positioned and secured over the drawer. The protrusions have at least two springs arranged to come into contact with the back-facing portions of the at least two contacts, and the at least two springs are in electrical contact with a battery charging circuit.
- the at least two springs When the battery drawer is in a closed state, the at least two springs are compressed between the protrusions and the back-facing portions of the contacts such that electrical power is provided to the at least two contacts, and when the battery drawer is released to be in an open state, the at least two springs act to push the battery drawer away from the protrusions such that any electrical circuit previously established is opened.
- the present invention provides a battery drawer apparatus having a contact that is isolated from outside electrical circuitry when the drawer's battery contact is accessible to a user. Also, when the drawer apparatus is open, the batteries being held therein are disengaged from the outside circuit.
- the contacts operate to both establish electrical contact with the batteries and the outside electrical circuit, and to provide ejection force to the drawer when the drawer is unlatched.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the electrical interconnections of a conventional battery drawer.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery drawer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery drawer insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 4 and 5 depict an embodiment of a mechanically isolated battery drawer in accordance with the present invention in, respectively, opened and closed positions.
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a battery drawer cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 depicts another embodiment of a mechanically isolated battery drawer in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 2 shows a portion of a battery drawer 200 in accordance with the present invention.
- Battery drawer 200 preferably comprises a body 201 that defines a cavity 203 , which has a shape consistent with holding predetermined size batteries.
- drawer 200 is configured to hold AA or AAA type batteries, although virtually any rechargeable battery type or shape can be employed in connection with the present invention.
- Drawer 200 further comprises a front cover 209 that, when the drawer is fully inserted into a base station, is flush with an exterior wall of the base station, as shown more clearly in FIG. 4 .
- Drawer 200 preferably also includes flanges 210 that extend along either side of drawer 200 and which are configured to slide along corresponding rails 401 within a body 400 of the base station.
- Contacts 220 , 221 each having cavity-facing portions 220 a , 221 a and back-facing portions 220 b , 221 b are disposed at an end of drawer 200 opposite to that of front cover 209 .
- an extension portion 225 that slides underneath a cover 600 to drawer 200 , as is shown more clearly in FIG. 4 .
- a front insert 240 At the end of drawer 200 closest to front cover 209 there is preferably inserted a front insert 240 , as shown in FIG. 3 , that includes contacts 235 , which are electrically connected to each other, and a key 231 that fits into a corresponding notch 230 in drawer 200 .
- Contacts 220 , 221 and 235 comprise contacts by which batteries inserted into cavity 203 can become electrically connected to each other.
- FIGS. 4 and 5 show drawer 200 in both closed and open states.
- FIG. 4 shows rails 401 that support respective flanges 210 and upon which drawer 200 slides.
- FIGS. 4 and 5 also show a body 400 of, for example, a base station of a cordless telephone apparatus, into which drawer 200 is inserted.
- Body 400 is preferably made of molded plastic and includes a plurality of screw posts 402 that secure battery drawer cover 600 over drawer 200 .
- a portion 610 of battery drawer cover 600 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an underside of battery drawer cover 600 .
- Battery drawer cover 600 preferably includes flanges 602 , which themselves include holes 604 that are in registration with screw posts 402 , to secure battery cover 600 to body 400 and allow drawer 200 to move freely underneath.
- battery drawer cover 600 preferably includes protrusions 610 a , 610 b on which are mounted biasing means such as springs 612 .
- Protrusions 610 a , 610 b are represented by portion 610 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
- springs 612 When drawer 200 is in a closed state as shown in FIG. 5 , springs 612 are compressed between protrusions 610 a , 610 b and contact portions 220 b , 221 b , respectively.
- springs 612 are comprised of electrically conductive material, such as metal, and are connected to a battery charging circuit 420 via wires 425 , as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 .
- drawer 200 is substantially inserted within base station body 400 that electrical contact is made with any battery charging circuitry.
- battery drawer cover 600 covers cavity 203 such that it is not possible to even access cavity 203 to replace batteries.
- battery drawer cover 600 is consistent with a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein battery drawer cover 600 includes the biasing means (e.g., springs 612 ) that cause drawer 200 to be ejected from base station body 400 when a latch is displaced, and function also to provide electrical connection to a charging circuit when drawer 200 is closed (or substantially closed).
- biasing means e.g., springs 612
- the biasing means are instead mounted on drawer 200 .
- spring 415 is shown mounted immediately adjacent contact portion 221 b .
- a second spring would also be mounted next to back-facing portion 220 b .
- protrusions 610 a , 610 b (or, instead, a single or unitary protrusion 610 , as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 ) would include electrical contacts that operate to electrically connect battery charging circuit 420 to batteries in drawer 200 .
- the first embodiment has an advantage over the second embodiment in that even if drawer 200 were completely removed from base station body 400 , the biasing means remains within body 400 attached to battery drawer cover 600 and, therefore, cannot be inadvertently misplaced.
- drawer 200 is held captive by body 400 such that total separation between drawer 200 and body 400 will not typically occur.
- FIG. 7 A third embodiment or the present invention is depicted in FIG. 7 .
- This embodiment is similar to the second embodiment in which the biasing and electrical connection means is integral with drawer 200 .
- simple leaf springs 701 are employed instead of using spiral springs like spring 415 .
- simple leaf springs 701 are employed.
- the same continuous leaf springs 701 are also used to provide biasing pressure and electrical connection directly to batteries 101 . Consequently, the third embodiment might be less expensive to manufacture in terms of both materials and assembly time.
- the present invention keeps a battery drawer contact isolated from associated electrical circuitry when a user might be in a position to inadvertently make contact with the battery drawer contact. This is accomplished by ensuring that when the drawer is in its open state the battery contacts are disengaged from any electrical circuitry, particularly battery re-charging circuitry.
- the employed biasing means is not only used to ensure that the drawer is ejected upon displacement of a latch, but is also simultaneously used to establish electrical contact between the battery drawer and a charging circuit when the drawer is in its closed, and thus user-protected, state.
- the specification may have presented the method and/or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Electrochemistry (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Charge And Discharge Circuits For Batteries Or The Like (AREA)
- Battery Mounting, Suspending (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates generally to apparatus for holding, storing, and charging batteries.
- 2. Background of the Invention
- Electronic equipment must receive a supply of power from a source of electricity. Most electronic equipment available today is powered directly from an alternating current (AC) source, such as a conventional wall outlet. Other, generally portable, devices are typically powered by batteries that must be periodically replaced after the batteries in use run down.
- For convenience and economic reasons, rechargeable batteries are often employed in equipment that relies on batteries for power. Such batteries are well-known and come in several varieties, including Nickel-Cadmium(Ni-Cad) and Nickel metal Hydride (NiMH), to name just two. Such batteries are also available in a myriad physical configurations.
- Some electronic equipment operates from both conventionally available AC power and battery power. For example, a cordless telephone typically includes a base station that is powered via an AC outlet and a cordless handset that is powered by a battery, or batteries (hereafter “batteries”). In most cordless telephones available today, the batteries that provide power to the cordless handset are rechargeable. When the cordless handset is mounted in the base station, the base station is configured to recharge the batteries in the cordless handset such that the batteries maintain the greatest possible amount of charge.
- Despite the constant charging of the cordless handset batteries, it is not uncommon for the batteries to run down during prolonged use such that the handset can no longer be used. Some cordless telephone systems have, in view of this problem, standby batteries that are stored in the base station of the telephone and separately re-charged. Thus, when the cordless handset batteries run down, it is possible to simply swap the handset batteries with second, or stand-by, batteries that are stored and charged within the base station. The run down handset battery is then re-charged within the base station. In some cases, the batteries in the base station may also be used to provide stand-by power to the base station itself in the event of a power failure, wherein AC power is not available.
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of selected portions of a conventional cordlesstelephone base station 100 and its interconnection with second or stand-by batteries.Base station 100 typically comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) 105 that includes electronic components that provide telephony functionality, along with assorted other features such as telephone number memory, caller ID functionality and display features. In addition, PCB 105 might also include apower supply 107, or at the very least, a means for distributing power, received from plug ortransformer 110, which is plugged into a conventional AC wall outlet. - To support second, or standby, batteries, PCB 105 (or some other portion of the internal components of base station 100) includes a
battery charging circuit 114 that includesoutput terminals Output terminals wires 118 to adrawer 122 that includes terminals 120 a, 120 b. - Drawer 122 typically has a shape that is consistent with the type of batteries that
base station 100 and a handset use. Drawer 122 is preferably spring loaded (e.g., via springs 125) and biased to be pushed toward the exterior ofbase station 100. Drawer 122 is held in place within the body ofbase station 100 by way of a user-movable latch (not shown). - To replace or swap batteries, a user simply displaces the latch, which causes the drawer to automatically and at least partially eject itself from base station. This state is shown in
FIG. 1 . The user then removes the batteries present withindrawer 122 and inserts rundown batteries and closesdrawer 122. While this seemingly simple battery replacement procedure would not be expected to be potentially dangerous, there is, in actuality, the possibility that a user could be unexpectedly electrically shocked. Specifically, terminals 120 a, 120 b are, even whendrawer 122 is in its open state, in contact with batterycharger output terminals wires 118. Sincebase station 100 may be a telephone apparatus, it is typically connected to outside telephone wires. In addition,base station 100 is connected to an AC source of power through plug ortransformer 110. Accordingly, in the event of a lightning strike to the power lines or telephone lines, or in the event of a malfunction inbase station 100, any of which could cause unexpectedly high voltage/current levels within the circuitry ofPCB 105, it is possible that such unexpectedly high voltage/current levels could be transferred acrosswires 118 and be present at terminals 120 a, 120 b with which a user may easily come into contact when performing a battery replacement procedure. - In view of the possible danger associated with replacing a battery in known devices, there is a need for improved battery storage, holding and recharging systems.
- The present invention provides a mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus that precludes a user from inadvertently coming into contact with electrically live contacts. Specifically, a battery drawer in which batteries are placed to be recharged (although the present invention should be understood to also cover a non-recharging battery drawer) is configured such that, when in an open state, electrical contact with a battery charging circuit is broken. Consequently, even if there is an unexpected power surge (due to lightning or an internal telephone malfunction), the user is protected from potential electrical shock.
- In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a battery holding apparatus comprises a drawer having a front face and sides, the sides respectively having a flange extending therefrom. At least two contacts each having front-facing and back-facing portions are provided, wherein the front-facing portions are in contact with a terminal of a battery when the drawer holds a battery. An extension portion extends beyond the at least two contacts and in a direction away from the front face. A battery drawer cover having protrusions extending therefrom is positioned and secured over the drawer. The protrusions have at least two springs arranged to come into contact with the back-facing portions of the at least two contacts, and the at least two springs are in electrical contact with a battery charging circuit. When the battery drawer is in a closed state, the at least two springs are compressed between the protrusions and the back-facing portions of the contacts such that electrical power is provided to the at least two contacts, and when the battery drawer is released to be in an open state, the at least two springs act to push the battery drawer away from the protrusions such that any electrical circuit previously established is opened.
- Thus, the present invention provides a battery drawer apparatus having a contact that is isolated from outside electrical circuitry when the drawer's battery contact is accessible to a user. Also, when the drawer apparatus is open, the batteries being held therein are disengaged from the outside circuit. In a preferred implementation, the contacts operate to both establish electrical contact with the batteries and the outside electrical circuit, and to provide ejection force to the drawer when the drawer is unlatched.
- These and other features of the present invention along with their attendant advantages will be more fully appreciated upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the associated drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the electrical interconnections of a conventional battery drawer. -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a battery drawer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery drawer insert in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. -
FIGS. 4 and 5 depict an embodiment of a mechanically isolated battery drawer in accordance with the present invention in, respectively, opened and closed positions. -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a battery drawer cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 7 depicts another embodiment of a mechanically isolated battery drawer in accordance with the present invention. -
FIG. 2 shows a portion of abattery drawer 200 in accordance with the present invention.Battery drawer 200 preferably comprises abody 201 that defines acavity 203, which has a shape consistent with holding predetermined size batteries. In this case,drawer 200 is configured to hold AA or AAA type batteries, although virtually any rechargeable battery type or shape can be employed in connection with the present invention.Drawer 200 further comprises afront cover 209 that, when the drawer is fully inserted into a base station, is flush with an exterior wall of the base station, as shown more clearly inFIG. 4 . Drawer 200 preferably also includesflanges 210 that extend along either side ofdrawer 200 and which are configured to slide alongcorresponding rails 401 within abody 400 of the base station.Contacts portions portions drawer 200 opposite to that offront cover 209. Beyondcontacts extension portion 225 that slides underneath acover 600 todrawer 200, as is shown more clearly inFIG. 4 . At the end ofdrawer 200 closest tofront cover 209 there is preferably inserted afront insert 240, as shown inFIG. 3 , that includescontacts 235, which are electrically connected to each other, and a key 231 that fits into acorresponding notch 230 indrawer 200.Contacts cavity 203 can become electrically connected to each other. -
FIGS. 4 and 5 show drawer 200 in both closed and open states.FIG. 4 showsrails 401 that supportrespective flanges 210 and upon whichdrawer 200 slides.FIGS. 4 and 5 also show abody 400 of, for example, a base station of a cordless telephone apparatus, into whichdrawer 200 is inserted.Body 400 is preferably made of molded plastic and includes a plurality ofscrew posts 402 that securebattery drawer cover 600 overdrawer 200. Aportion 610 ofbattery drawer cover 600 is shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 . -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an underside ofbattery drawer cover 600. When mounted insidebody 400, this component is actually flipped over such that the surface shown inFIG. 6 facescavity 203 whendrawer 200 is in its closed state.Battery drawer cover 600 preferably includesflanges 602, which themselves includeholes 604 that are in registration withscrew posts 402, to securebattery cover 600 tobody 400 and allowdrawer 200 to move freely underneath. In addition, in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention,battery drawer cover 600 preferably includesprotrusions springs 612.Protrusions portion 610 shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 . - When
drawer 200 is in a closed state as shown inFIG. 5 , springs 612 are compressed betweenprotrusions contact portions battery charging circuit 420 viawires 425, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 . Whendrawer 200 is released and allowed to move into its open state, even if a user were to inadvertently contactcontacts cavity 203 from outside ofbody 400, there would be no possibility of electrical shock to the user since there is no electrical connection between any battery charging circuit and the contacts directly associated withdrawer 200. It is only whendrawer 200 is substantially inserted withinbase station body 400 that electrical contact is made with any battery charging circuitry. Moreover, even in the event the interior compartment ofbase station body 400 is exposed as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 ,battery drawer cover 600 coverscavity 203 such that it is not possible to even accesscavity 203 to replace batteries. In other words, it is preferably only possible to replace batteries whendrawer 200 is substantially extended outward frombody 400 such that electrical contact between contacts associated withdrawer 200 are necessarily detached from any other electronic componentry. - As mentioned above, the configuration of
battery drawer cover 600 is consistent with a first embodiment of the present invention, whereinbattery drawer cover 600 includes the biasing means (e.g., springs 612) that causedrawer 200 to be ejected frombase station body 400 when a latch is displaced, and function also to provide electrical connection to a charging circuit whendrawer 200 is closed (or substantially closed). - In a second embodiment according to the present invention, the biasing means are instead mounted on
drawer 200. As shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 ,spring 415 is shown mounted immediatelyadjacent contact portion 221 b. Of course, in an actual implementation, a second spring would also be mounted next to back-facingportion 220 b. Thus, in the second embodiment,protrusions unitary protrusion 610, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 ) would include electrical contacts that operate to electrically connectbattery charging circuit 420 to batteries indrawer 200. - It is noted that the first embodiment has an advantage over the second embodiment in that even if
drawer 200 were completely removed frombase station body 400, the biasing means remains withinbody 400 attached tobattery drawer cover 600 and, therefore, cannot be inadvertently misplaced. In preferred implementations,drawer 200 is held captive bybody 400 such that total separation betweendrawer 200 andbody 400 will not typically occur. - A third embodiment or the present invention is depicted in
FIG. 7 . This embodiment is similar to the second embodiment in which the biasing and electrical connection means is integral withdrawer 200. However, instead of using spiral springs likespring 415,simple leaf springs 701 are employed. In a preferred implementation, the samecontinuous leaf springs 701 are also used to provide biasing pressure and electrical connection directly tobatteries 101. Consequently, the third embodiment might be less expensive to manufacture in terms of both materials and assembly time. - Thus, as will be appreciated by the foregoing, the present invention keeps a battery drawer contact isolated from associated electrical circuitry when a user might be in a position to inadvertently make contact with the battery drawer contact. This is accomplished by ensuring that when the drawer is in its open state the battery contacts are disengaged from any electrical circuitry, particularly battery re-charging circuitry. In addition, the employed biasing means is not only used to ensure that the drawer is ejected upon displacement of a latch, but is also simultaneously used to establish electrical contact between the battery drawer and a charging circuit when the drawer is in its closed, and thus user-protected, state.
- While the present invention has been described in the context of a cordless telephone, the features of the present invention are equally applicable to other types of equipment that include battery drawers in which rechargeable batteries are disposed for recharging.
- The foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.
- Further, in describing representative embodiments of the present invention, the specification may have presented the method and/or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/743,839 US7394221B2 (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2003-12-24 | Mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus |
DE102004055044A DE102004055044A1 (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2004-11-15 | Mechanically isolated battery charger |
CA002488857A CA2488857A1 (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2004-11-26 | Mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus |
GB0426039A GB2409775B (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2004-11-26 | Mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/743,839 US7394221B2 (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2003-12-24 | Mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20050156561A1 true US20050156561A1 (en) | 2005-07-21 |
US7394221B2 US7394221B2 (en) | 2008-07-01 |
Family
ID=33565399
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/743,839 Active 2024-11-05 US7394221B2 (en) | 2003-12-24 | 2003-12-24 | Mechanically isolated battery charging apparatus |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US7394221B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2488857A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE102004055044A1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2409775B (en) |
Cited By (4)
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US20090051316A1 (en) * | 2007-08-24 | 2009-02-26 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Battery charging device and battery with the same |
US20090091290A1 (en) * | 2007-10-08 | 2009-04-09 | Microsoft Corporation | Convenient recharging of a charge storage device |
CN112886116A (en) * | 2021-01-28 | 2021-06-01 | 郑尉 | New energy automobile device capable of popping up battery after collision |
US20210296717A1 (en) * | 2020-08-28 | 2021-09-23 | Google Llc | Space-Saving, Serviceable Modular Battery Assembly for a User Equipment |
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US5384207A (en) * | 1992-07-15 | 1995-01-24 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Electronic apparatus with battery power source |
US5933496A (en) * | 1997-10-29 | 1999-08-03 | Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc. | AA battery cellular phone |
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US6049192A (en) * | 1999-03-18 | 2000-04-11 | Motorola, Inc. | Battery charger having moving door housing for a battery |
US6326766B1 (en) * | 2000-06-09 | 2001-12-04 | Shoot The Moon Products Ii, Llc | Rechargable battery pack and battery pack charger with safety mechanisms |
US6356054B1 (en) * | 2000-12-24 | 2002-03-12 | Motorola, Inc. | Desktop stand for an electronic device having embedded charging control |
-
2003
- 2003-12-24 US US10/743,839 patent/US7394221B2/en active Active
-
2004
- 2004-11-15 DE DE102004055044A patent/DE102004055044A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2004-11-26 GB GB0426039A patent/GB2409775B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2004-11-26 CA CA002488857A patent/CA2488857A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (7)
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US5384207A (en) * | 1992-07-15 | 1995-01-24 | Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. | Electronic apparatus with battery power source |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US20090051316A1 (en) * | 2007-08-24 | 2009-02-26 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Battery charging device and battery with the same |
US8174236B2 (en) * | 2007-08-24 | 2012-05-08 | Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. | Battery charging device and battery with the same |
US20090091290A1 (en) * | 2007-10-08 | 2009-04-09 | Microsoft Corporation | Convenient recharging of a charge storage device |
US7888909B2 (en) * | 2007-10-08 | 2011-02-15 | Microsoft Corporation | Convenient recharging of a charge storage device |
US20210296717A1 (en) * | 2020-08-28 | 2021-09-23 | Google Llc | Space-Saving, Serviceable Modular Battery Assembly for a User Equipment |
US11843100B2 (en) * | 2020-08-28 | 2023-12-12 | Google Llc | Space-saving, serviceable modular battery assembly for a user equipment |
CN112886116A (en) * | 2021-01-28 | 2021-06-01 | 郑尉 | New energy automobile device capable of popping up battery after collision |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2409775A (en) | 2005-07-06 |
CA2488857A1 (en) | 2005-06-24 |
GB2409775B (en) | 2006-09-13 |
US7394221B2 (en) | 2008-07-01 |
DE102004055044A1 (en) | 2005-08-25 |
GB0426039D0 (en) | 2004-12-29 |
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